media - Rules for foreign journalists relaxed

Foreign journalists do not have to report anymore when they interview people or visit places outside their own residence, mostly Shanghai or Beijing, the ministry of foreign affairs said on Friday, according to Reuters.
The change in the rules for foreign journalists, that have officially never changed since imposed on June 1989 by then Prime Minister Li Peng after the military crackdown on Beijing. The relaxation will start at January 1 and end at the end of 2008, when the Olympic Games are over.
Now, unless they have to interview government officials, foreign journalists often ignore those regulations, but that can bring them sometimes into trouble with the authorities.
There is a fair chance that after the two-year experiment, the new rules might get a more permanent character, giving foreign journalists the same rights as other foreigners visiting China.